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Boys are typically more physically active than girls, but schools have the potential to promote health-related physical activity for all children. This study investigated gender differences in children’s physical activity levels during physical education (PE) classes and unstructured recess periods. The activity levels of 91 fifth-grade children were assessed by accelerometer (Caltrac) on 3 days. Results indicated that children’s activity levels were low to moderately stable from day to day in both environments. Boys and girls had similar activity levels during PE, t(89) = 1.49, p = .140, but boys were significantly more active than girls during recess, t(89) = 3.27, p = .002. Girls were significantly more active during PE than they were at recess, t(51) = 2.08, p = .043. The results suggest that structured PE classes may provide similar amounts of physical activity for both genders.

The purpose of this study was to identify and assess the concerns of preservice physical education teachers at the University of Leuven (Belgium). In two studies, data were obtained with two different methodologies, namely a questionnaire and the logbook. In the first study the Teacher Concerns Questionnaire (TCQ) was administered to 100 students on three occasions during their early field teaching experiences. Of the three types of concern—self, task, and impact—only impact concern increased significantly and could be identified as a stable factor. In line with related studies, data did not reveal the three stages of Fuller’s concern model. In the second study written concerns were gathered using the logbook method. Concerns about pupil control and organization were found most frequently. Finally, concerns obtained from the TCQ were compared with the written ones. The contradicting findings suggest there are both idealistic and realistic concerns. Further research into a valid instrument for assessing concerns of prospective physical educators is recommended.

The study examined the role of motivation in students’ performance and engagement in elementary and middle school physical education. Cross-lagged relationships between performance and engagement were investigated across Grades 6–9. A total of 763 (365 girls, 398 boys) Finnish school students (11- to 12-year old) were followed across three years. Students’ expectancy beliefs, attainment, intrinsic interest, utility value, and effort were measured using self-report questionnaires, whereas grades were retrieved from the school records. The study showed expectancy beliefs and intrinsic interest values to explain performance, whereas attainment values for girls and intrinsic interest value for boys facilitated the engagement. Although girls and boys were differently motivated, these differences were stable across time. This study supports the utility of the Expectancy-Values Model as a framework to understand motivation. We recommend educators to facilitate students’ expectancy beliefs, importance, and intrinsic interest to increase students’ performance and engagement in school physical education.